


Stoplight

by Heavenly_Pearl



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Asexuality, Birthday, Consent, F/M, Hot Springs, Overnight Trip, Post-Canon, Romance, Sailor Moon Smutember, Sex Aversion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:48:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26357476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heavenly_Pearl/pseuds/Heavenly_Pearl
Summary: To celebrate Rei’s birthday, she and Jadeite take a trip to historic Kyoto. It’s their first time spending the night together, but though Jadeite is eager to take their relationship to the next level, Rei’s not so sure she’s ready to take that step…or that she ever will be.
Relationships: Hino Rei/Jadeite
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23
Collections: Smutember 2020 Sailor Moon Fandom





	Stoplight

**Author's Note:**

> Note before reading: Deals with Rei, who is asexual, struggling with sex aversion.

Jadeite was good at a great many things.

Driving, to say the least, was not one of them.

His foot was heavy on the pedal, he took turns like a bat out of hell, and he liked to think of traffic lights and stop signs more as “suggestions” rather than “rules that must be followed”. How he ever managed to convince the proctor of his recent driving exam that he was a responsible enough driver to sit behind the wheel, Rei did not know, but she should have listened to her gut feeling and insisted they take the train, rather than letting Jadeite convince her with that charming smile of his that it would be more fun to rent a car for the weekend and drive to Kyoto themselves to celebrate her twentieth birthday.

“Hey, are you okay?” Jadeite asked, noticing Rei gripping the dashboard when he took yet another sharp turn without warning.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” she said crossly, as if seeing her life flash before her eyes could be considered “fine”. “Just…maybe slow down a little the next time? You’re not racing Minako at Crown; you don’t have to be in such a hurry.”

“You’re the boss!” He reached over to turn up the volume on the radio, bopping his head and singing along, off-key, to an old Three Lights hit.

Sighing, Rei reclined back in the passenger-side seat and stared out the window at the passing scenery. More than the drive, it was what would happen in Kyoto that worried her more. It was their first overnight trip together, and in a moment of what was surely temporary insanity, she had agreed they could rent a room together at the inn.

A couple sharing a room meant one thing – sex.

Well, it was probably about time they did it. After all, they had been dating for about six months now, ever since Usagi and Mamoru combined their powers to resurrect Jadeite and his other comrades from their stone imprisonment. The other girls, when Rei recently admitted they hadn’t done anything beyond kissing, had been surprised they had waited so long. Kunzite had barely finished transforming into a corporeal body before Minako dragged him to the nearest bedroom to, in her words, “make up for lost time.” Ami, surprisingly, had been the next, a late-night study date with Zoisite for her college anatomy class becoming a chance to study _his_ anatomy – up close and personal. Makoto had wanted her first time with Nephrite to be special, so she had planned a super-romantic Christmas Eve date, complete with lighted candles and rose petals spread across the bed.

The thing was, Rei had never felt the desire to have sex. Not with Jadeite...not with anyone, male or female. When the other girls spoke of how hot they found their boyfriends and how horny they were, it sometimes felt like they were speaking another language, Rei unable to relate.

She loved Jadeite. She was certain of that. After years of mostly mistrusting men and insisting she would never do anything as stupid as fall in love, somehow Jadeite had managed to break through all her defenses. Far from the ruthless monster he had been under Queen Beryl’s spell, the real Jadeite turned out to be sweet and fun-loving, someone who reminded her not to take life so seriously all the time and who loved her in spite of her sometimes...prickly personality.

Yet she never felt the need to take their relationship further, happy with what they already had. That was strange, right? Shouldn’t she _want_ to sleep with her boyfriend?

“Uh, Rei?”

Startled from her thoughts, Rei jumped. “What is it? Are we almost there?”

“Not exactly…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, don’t freak out, but I think I may have taken a wrong turn somewhere?”

“We’re lost?”

“No...not totally. I know we’re somewhere around Nagoya…”

Rei rubbed at her temple, feeling the beginning of a headache coming on. “Okay, pull over and hand me the map. Let’s retrace your route…”

* * *

When they finally arrived – twenty minutes later than expected, thanks to Jadeite’s poor navigation skills – they dropped their luggage off at the room at the inn, then headed out to check out the sights. Luckily, Rei’s headache had worn off by then, leaving her in a much better mood.

Rei had visited Kyoto several times before, most recently on her class trip back during her second year of high school, but it was the newly-reincarnated Jadeite’s first time. He ran around like an excited puppy, taking pictures with his flip phone and asking Rei a million questions about the shrines and temples they visited. If it had been anybody else, Rei probably would have lost her patience long ago, yet it was hard to be mad when he was so genuinely curious. It also gave her a chance to show off her knowledge of Japanese history, Jadeite hanging onto her every word.

“Where do you want to go next?” Rei asked when they reached the entertainment district of Gion, looking down at the map in her hands. After the mishap on the drive down to Kyoto, it was decided she would be in charge of directions for the remainder of the trip. “We could check out the Silver Pavillion? Chion-in Temple is also nearby, if you’d rather go there. There’s this incredible 24-meter tower that houses the biggest bell in all of – Jadeite, are you listening to me?”

She frowned. For the first time since they arrived, Jadeite seemed distracted.

“Oh, sorry.” He bowed his head in apology, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s just… Uh, can you wait here a sec? I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going, and why can’t I go with you?” Rei asked, suspicious.

“Uh...bathroom?”

She arched an eyebrow. It wasn’t a very convincing lie, considering they had just taken a bathroom break less than twenty minutes ago, and he knew it, pressing his hands together in front of his face in supplication.

“Please, Rei. Ten minutes is all I need.”

“Fine,” she said with a sigh. There was a nearby shop she wanted to check out anyway. Her grandfather had asked for some tea as a souvenir, and they were known for selling the best tea leaves in Kyoto. She might as well take the opportunity to buy some while they were here. “If you’re not back in ten minutes, I’m leaving without you, though. You’ll just have to find your way back to the inn without a map.”

He faked a gasp. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Just try me,” she said, smirking. “We’ll meet back here in ten, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

They went their separate ways, Rei watching Jadeite’s back until she saw him enter a shop further down the street. A sign near the door read _Yamazaki Pharmacy_ in large red kanji.

_Is he sick?_ she wondered, brows furrowed in confusion. She hadn’t noticed him coughing or sniffling, though, and he certainly appeared to have more than enough energy to spare. But what other reason would Jadeite have to stop by a pharmacy in the middle of their tour…?

_Oh._

Condoms. He must have forgotten to bring some with him.

Rei closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. _Don’t think about it,_ she ordered herself. All it did was make her more nervous about what was supposed to happen later that night. For now, she just wanted to enjoy the rest of the day with Jadeite without worrying about whatever expectations he undoubtedly had.

Pushing it out of her mind, Rei entered the tea shop and picked out an assortment of teas for her grandfather, including Kyoto’s famed matcha. The ten minutes were almost up by the time she returned to their designated meeting place, no Jadeite in sight.

“It shouldn’t take _that_ long to buy a box of condoms, should it?” she muttered to herself in annoyance, tapping her foot as she checked her watch for the third time.

He was officially five minutes late.

Though tempted to make good on her threat to leave him there, Rei wasn’t that cruel. Maybe he had forgotten where they were supposed to meet up? She was pulling out her phone to call him when she heard him shouting her name, waving his hand over his head as he jogged down the sidewalk.

“You’re late,” she said when he finally caught up to her, lightly out of breath.

“Yeah, I know, I know. Sorry, the shop was busier than I expected it to be.” He held up the bag he was carrying in his left hand. Rather than the plastic bag she had expected, it was a pretty gift bag decorated with cherry blossom branches. “Maybe this will help make up for making you wait?”

“What is it?” she asked, taking the bag from him. “Didn’t you go to the pharmacy?”

“The pharmacy?” He blinked. “No, I went to – Oh! I think there was a pharmacy right next door.”

“Next door?”

“Yeah, but why did you think I needed to go to drug store?” he asked.

“I thought you were buying –” She shook her head, uncharacteristically flustered. “Oh, never mind! It’s not important.”

Curious to see what he _did_ buy, she reached inside the bag, feeling around the crumpled pieces of tissue paper until her hand wrapped around something solid. She pulled it out, a small gasp escaping her lips when she saw what it was.

It was a _tsugegushi_ – a Japanese boxwood comb – beautifully hand-carved and painted with vibrant red spider lilies.

“Happy birthday!” Jadeite said, taking the comb from her hand. “I hope you like it. I thought this one would suit you best.” He grinned as he gently placed the comb in her hair, right above her left ear. “Yep, I was right. It looks like it was made just for you.”

“I-I love it,” Rei said, touching the comb in her hair, “but my birthday isn’t until tomorrow. Besides, I thought this trip was already my present.”

Jadeite shrugged. “I wanted you to have something to remember this trip by.”

“But I haven’t gotten you –”

He laughed, bringing a finger to her lips. “All you need to say is, ‘Thank you, Jadeite. It’s beautiful.’”

Rei rolled her eyes, but smiled, rising on her toes to lightly kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Jadeite. It really is beautiful. I’ll treasure it always.”

“That’s better,” he said, reaching for her hand. “Now, what were you saying about a really huge bell? That sounds kinda cool. Let’s go check that out…”

* * *

“I am stuffed!”

Jadeite laid down on the floor beside the low table where they were sitting and rubbed his stomach. For dinner, they had returned to the inn for a meal of Kyoto specialties: Kyoto-style sushi made with fish cured with vinegar, boiled tofu, pickled vegetables, and sweets made of red bean paste for dessert. Though the family-owned inn could hardly be considered a high-class establishment, whoever prepared the meal was an exceptional cook, just as good as Makoto or any chef at one of the fancy restaurants Rei’s father usually took her to for her birthday.

The company was much more enjoyable as well.

“Man, those sweets were delicious, weren’t they?” Jadeite asked. “We should bring some home with us as a souvenir. Usagi would probably love them.”

“I’m sure she would,” Rei agreed, well-acquainted with her princess’s infamous sweet tooth. “I know of a bakery where we can pick some up when we go out tomorrow.”

“Cool.” Sitting back up, Jadeite ran a hand through his curly hair. “So, what do you want to do now?” he asked as Rei cleared the table, placing their dirty dishes back on the tray to be picked up later by one of the maids. “I’m exhausted after all that walking we did today. Do you want to take a bath? A nice, long soak in the hot springs sounds heavenly right about now.”

A bath did sound nice... “Let me get my toiletries,” Rei said, grabbing her shampoo, conditioner, and soap from her suitcase. Not wanting to risk losing it, she took the comb he had given her out of her hair and carefully stored it in one of the suitcase’s secret compartments.

Jadeite grabbed his things as well, then they headed to the baths.

“Hey, I heard this inn has a mixed bath,” he said casually along the way. “Wanna check it out?”

“I’d rather stick with the women’s bath tonight, if you don’t mind,” Rei replied, not even taking a moment to think about it.

“Oh.” He appeared taken back by the speed of her answer, but he quickly hid his disappointment behind a smile. “Sure, okay,” he said as they reached the entrance to the changing rooms, stopping in front of the one designated for men. “I’ll see you back in our room whenever you finish, then. Enjoy your bath!”

Sighing after he vanished behind the blue curtain, Rei walked through the red curtain right next to it and began taking off her yukata. A few of the inn’s other guests were already there, the two college-aged women standing next to her having a not-safe-for-work conversation about their respective partners as if nobody else was around.

“– couldn’t find my clit if I drew him a freakin’ map!” the shorter one said, her friend placing a commiserating hand on her shoulder.

“Shuji was the same way when we first started sleeping together. You have to show him what you want, Keiko,” the other said. “Guys aren’t mind-readers, you know. Next time he’s fingering you, try –”

Not wanting to hear the rest of that sentence, Rei tossed her clothes in one of the provided baskets, then quickly moved onto the bathing room, taking a seat at one of the showers.

She had managed to put off thinking about it for most of the day, but her nerves were now back in full-force, the soap slipping from Rei’s hands several times as she thoroughly cleaned herself. After rinsing off and twisting her wet hair into a bun on the top of her head, she went outside to take a soak in the open-air hot spring.

Rei stepped into the bath, enjoying the intense heat as she submerged her body into the steaming water. The temperature fell just short of being unbearable, exactly as she preferred. Finding a spot away from the other women already gathered – she wasn’t in the mood to socialize – Rei rested her head against a large rock and closed her eyes, trying to calm down and relax.

It was no use. Every meditation technique she attempted failed, the anxiety about what was going to happen when she returned to their room consuming Rei’s every thought. She couldn’t even enjoy the magnificent view of Mt. Higashiyama, one of the inn’s main selling points.

_I never should have agreed to come on this_ _dumb_ _trip,_ Rei thought. It got her out of another awkward, boring birthday dinner with her father, but she was beginning to think even that would be preferable to having sex with her wonderful boyfriend who she loved more than anything.

Or did she? She thought she did, but if she truly loved Jadeite, wouldn’t she _want_ to make love with him? The desire seemed to come naturally enough to everyone else. Even the woman who was having bad sex with her boyfriend was eager to do it again, Rei overhearing snatches of her conversation with her friend, who was giving her more advice on things to try to improve their sex life.

Groaning, she drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Why did this have to be so complicated for her when it seemed so easy for everybody else?

Maybe once she did it, she would understand what all the fuss was about? Like how, when she was a little girl, she used to absolutely hate eating broccoli. It still wasn’t one of her favorites, and she never craved it, but now she didn’t mind eating it on occasion. Maybe sex could be like that for her?

Feeling a little light-headed after spending so long in the steaming hot water, Rei decided it was probably best to get out before she fainted. Jadeite was probably starting to wonder where she was, anyway, although she still took her time getting dressed in the inn’sred yukata and blow-drying and braiding her long hair, putting off the inevitable for as long as humanly possible.

_You can do it, Rei,_ she told herself when she reached the door to their room, her heart pounding. She had faced much worse during her battles as Sailor Mars; this was nothing in comparison. Taking in a deep breath, she took off her slippers, then slid open the door, stepping inside.

Two futons had been rolled out, side-by-side, in the center of the room while they were taking their soaks. Jadeite, as expected, had returned to the room before her, laying on his stomach on one of the futons and flipping through what appeared to be a Kyoto travel guide. When he heard Rei enter, he sat back up and smiled, the sleeve of his yukata slipping down his shoulder and partially revealing his chest. No matter how many times she tried to teach him the proper way to wear one, he always tied it too loosely when left to his own devices.

“Hey, you were in there a while,” he said as Rei put her toiletries away. “I was beginning to think you got lost.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course not. Unlike you, I can ask for directions.”

“ _Ouch_.” Jadeite patted the bared part of his chest. “You wound me. You really do.” Setting the travel guide aside, he stood and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and kissing her cheek. “I missed you,” he said in a softer voice.

“Jadeite, don’t be silly. I was only gone for an hour at most.”

“The longest hour of my life.” His lips moved to the side of her neck, just underneath her earlobe, and kissed the exposed skin there. “Mmm, you smell so good. What’s that fragrance?”

“It’s just my shampoo,” Rei said, gently breaking free of his embrace. “Come on, it’s getting late. We should go to bed.”

His eyes lit up at the suggestion, Rei realizing too late what she had insinuated. “Yes, let’s go to bed.”

He reached for her hand, leading her back to the futons. They both laid down and got underneath the blankets, Jadeite rolling over on his side. His hand brushed against her cheek as he looked down at her, his blue eyes filled with...tenderness, yes, but also something more, something she couldn’t quite discern. Lust? Desire? Whatever it was, it didn’t exactly make her feel uncomfortable, but it was...weird.

“God, you are so beautiful, Rei,” Jadeite said, his voice low, barely louder than a whisper. “You have no idea how much I’ve dreamed of tonight...of being with you…

Rei wished she could say the same.

“Jadeite, I…”

If she didn’t want to go through with it, now was the time to speak up. Jadeite would never force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. He wasn’t that kind of guy. If she told him she wasn’t ready, she knew he would respect her wishes, yet...she hated the thought of disappointing him.

_Oh, just get it over with, Rei,_ she thought, turning over to face him and crushing her lips against his.

His eyes widened. Rei wasn’t one to initiate their kisses often, but he quickly got over his surprise, his tongue finding its way into her slightly opened mouth. As his hand slid downwards to rest upon her hip, Rei brought one of hers to the nape of Jadeite’s neck, her fingers tangling in the soft curls there.

She didn’t mind this at all, to be honest. Jadeite was an amazing kisser – not that she had much experience to compare it to, admittedly. The only other person she had kissed was her father’s assistant Kaidou in a misguided attempt to make him fall in love with her. She realized now that she had confused Kaidou’s friendship with love, that her feelings for him were nothing like what she felt for Jadeite, yet, for some reason, neither of them inspired in her the passionate, sexual desires the world said she was supposed to have for the person she loved.

That didn’t stop Rei from trying. She moved closer to Jadeite, moaning like she had seen in the movies when his lips moved from her mouth to trail up her jawline. He murmured her name like a prayer, the hand on her hip slowly roaming down her backside until Rei grabbed it and put it back where it was before.

Not yet.

Jadeite got the message. His mouth found hers again, Rei closing her eyes as she tried to relax and lose herself in the moment. She was beginning to feel what she thought might be the stirrings of arousal, a flicker of fire inside her belly that reminded her vaguely of what it felt like to transform into Sailor Mars. She moaned again – more honestly, that time – Jadeite taking it as encouragement to roll Rei over on her back.

Rei parted her legs just wide enough to allow Jadeite to position himself in between them. He was careful not to put all his weight on her, but she could still feel an unfamiliar bulge pressing against her, proof of his own arousal. Looking down at her, Jadeite smiled, tucking a strand of loose hair that had fallen out of her braid behind her ear.

“Is this okay?” he asked.

She licked her lips and nodded. “Y-Yeah.”

Her heart pounded as he once again began kissing her neck, the sound loud enough that she was certain he could hear it. Rei stared up at the ceiling, lightly biting down on her bottom lip when she felt a hand start to slip underneath the fabric of her yukata’s neckline.

Nerves, that’s all it was. Perfectly natural.

She could do this. It was okay.

Yet the moment she felt his fingers brush against her nipple, Rei froze, her entire body going stiff.

“Rei?” Jadeite, noticing her discomfort, immediately pulled his hand out from her yukata. “Are you okay?”

No, she wasn’t.

“I-I’m sorry,” Rei said, gently pushing him off of her and sitting back up. “I can’t do this.”

Jadeite propped himself up on his elbow. “Rei, what’s wrong? Did I do –”

Rei shook her head. “I just can’t,” she repeated, scrambling back to her feet and running out of the room. She ignored Jadeite calling out her name, not even bothering to put her slippers on.

She aimlessly roamed the halls of the old inn, no real destination in mind, only knowing that she a moment to herself. Somehow, she ended up in the garden at the back of the inn, the ground damp underneath her bare feet. Rei sat down on a stone bench underneath a sakura tree, sighing as she hid her face in her hands.

She had really messed things up back there. She should have been honest with Jadeite from the start instead of forcing herself to play some role that never suited her, hoping that the real feelings would magically switch on for her if she faked it well enough.

“Rei?”

She lifted up her head and glanced over her shoulder, lowering her gaze when she saw Jadeite standing several feet behind her. She didn’t know what to say, how to apologize for ruining their trip, so she didn’t say anything, turning her head back around.

To her surprise, it was Jadeite who apologized instead.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “When you agreed to this trip, I thought… Well, I thought you were ready to take our relationship to the next level. I shouldn’t have tried to push you –”

“No.” Rei swiveled around on the bench so she was facing Jadeite. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong,” she said. “I thought I was ready, too.” She shook her head; why was she still avoiding the truth? “That’s a lie. I wasn’t ready. I _wanted_ to be, but...”

“That’s okay. We can wait until you are. I don’t mind.”

“But what if…?” She swallowed hard, her fingers digging into the fabric of her yukata. She had already come this far; she might as well come clean about everything. “What if I never am?” Rei asked in a soft voice, very much unlike her.

His eyes widened. “What do you mean?” He joined her on the bench, though he still kept a respectable distance between them.

“It means…” She drew in a deep breath, her eyes meeting his. “I don’t think I’ll ever want to have sex with you,” she declared matter-of-factly. “Or anybody else, for that matter.”

There was a long pause as Jadeite let what she said sink in.

“Did somebody...hurt you?” he hesitantly asked. “I swear, if somebody forced themselves on you…” A bit of his previous ruthlessness flickered in his eyes, his hands clenching into fists.

“No, it’s not like that,” she assured him.

Jadeite relaxed his fists, but a confused look remained on his face. “Then, is this about the vow of chastity you took during the time of Silver Millennium?” He reached over, placing one of his hands over Rei’s. “I don’t think you need to feel bound to a promise you made in another lifetime, Rei.”

“No, that’s not it, either.” Rei slid her hand from underneath his, bringing it to caress his cheek instead. “I love you, Jadeite, but I’m just not attracted to you that way. In a sexual way,” she admitted, lowering her hand back to her lap. “I’ve never felt that way about anyone.”

“No one?” He blinked. “Not even, like, a celebrity? Or, um, maybe a woman?”

“No one.”

“Oh.”

“I understand if that is a deal breaker for you.” Rei stood, walking a few feet forward, and wiped away a stubborn tear with the palm of her hand. She refused to cry. This was for the best, for both of them. It was better for her to dedicate her life to serving and protecting Usagi, as she had done in her previous life. Falling in love was only a foolish dream, just as she always thought. “You deserve to be with somebody who can love you the way you want to be loved.”

“Are you breaking up with me?” he asked.

“Isn’t that what you want? Now that you know?”

“No.” Coming up behind her, he hugged her. “Your vow of chastity during our previous lives didn’t stop me from loving you, Rei,” he reminded her. “A lack of sex sure as hell isn’t going to stop me from loving you in this life, either.”

“But…”

“I love you, Rei Hino,” he said, interrupting before she could protest. “Nothing will ever change that. _Nothing._ ”

Jadeite kissed her temple, Rei relaxing in his embrace. “I love you, too,” she said, turning around and wrapping her arms around his neck. “More than I could ever imagine.”

Bringing his hands down to rest on her hips, Jadeite started to lean forward to kiss Rei, but paused a few inches away from her lips. “Wait, is this okay?” he asked. “To kiss you?”

In response, Rei rose on her tip-toes and bridged the gap between them, brushing her lips against his in a soft kiss.

“Yeah, it’s okay,” she said. “More than okay. I like it when you kiss me.”

“Yeah?” He grinned, kissing her again. “Good. I like it when you kiss me, too.”

They kissed a few more times, each kiss growing more ardent, but after a while, Jadeite finally pulled back, grasping her hand. “Come on,” he said, jerking his head back toward the inn. “It’s getting late, and we have a lot more sights to see tomorrow. Let’s ask the proprietress if she happens to have an extra room available.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Rei said, letting him lead her back.

He glanced back at her over his shoulder, eyes widening in surprise. “Are you sure? I mean, I won’t do anything unless you want me to, but –”

She tightened her grip on his hand. “I trust you. I don’t mind sharing a room, as long as all we do is sleep.”

“Okay.” Jadeite smiled. “Sounds good.”

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR’S NOTES: I hope you enjoyed the story! Despite the lack of actual smut, this was written for floraone’s Sailor Moon Smutember event, inspired by the theme “Pool/Onsen”.
> 
> Feel free to follow me on Tumblr! My username is kaleidodreams.


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